Nod, nod. I'm up to nine reviews!
hnh: I try not to bash, nut it just sort of happens.
Asteria: Wait no longer.
Dragonet: ……Herman now has an armed guard.
Disclaimer: Arcane mine. X-men not.
*^*^*^*^^*^**^*^*^^**^*^*^
"I don't understand. What happened?"
Jean and the others stood in front of the very grave Mr. Jackson.
"We don't know. The shot he made," Jean shook her head, "was impossible. He was a half-mile away with a revolver."
"And yet it happened." Mr. Jackson shook his head. "How can I hope to stop someone like that?"
"You're other people are coming in today by plane, correct?"
"Yes, Mr. McCoy. What is it?"
"It seems prudent that we meet and protect them at the airport."
Mr. Jackson mulled it over. "Yes, that would be prudent. Very well. We'll go in the company cars. They'll be here in several hours."
*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^
Several cars moved away from the building. Company cars. It had the logo 'Jackson enterprises' on them.
Jackson and his new bodyguards were in them. There was only one place they could be going.
The old sierra gurgled to life as Arcane turned the key.
There was more than one way to reach the airport. Really, he didn't know why he was following them. Maybe it was a sort of nagging in his mind, a mental warning.
It made him uneasy.
*^*^*^*^^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^
The airport was large, immaculate, and full of people staring at them. But being the fact that they were mutants, this was not surprising.
Bobby grinned at Amara. "Bet you get this all the time at home."
Amara glared at him furiously. "What are you insinuating?"
Hank shook his head at the two and turned to Logan.
"Do you sense anything?"
"Nothin'. But considering our opponent, that might be the norm, so keep an eye out."
Jean listened intently to Mr. Jackson as he told her about the company and what the people that were coming in did. No doubt it was incredibly interesting.
"There!" Mr. Jackson threw out a hand to point at some people riding a car over to the gate outside. From the window, they were clearly visable.
"Move out. He may already be here." Scott looked around, as if expecting the enemy to jump out and swat him.
They set out for the gate to wait for their charges to get there.
But they never made it.
About three hundred feet from the gate, the engine sputtered and coughed. When the driver pressed his pedal to the floor, the car blew up.
*^**^*^**^*^**^*^*^*
That was very unexpected. Arcane pushed his hat off to get a better look at the ground and the plumes of smoke arising from the wreckage. The mutant bodyguards tried to help, but he could see that it was no use. The passengers were dead from the first of the explosion.
Fire sirens were wailing all over the airport. People were ushered out by security guards. No one came to usher him. They either looked past him, or right through him (in a manner of speaking).
He didn't mind. In fact he was gazing more intently at Mr. Jackson.
Mr. Jackson hadn't moved. He hadn't tried to help. Hadn't even run away from the explosion. His face held no surprise, nor any fear. Not even remorse.
A red beam of light shattered the window beside him. They had spotted him.
'You sly fox. Now you can blame it on me.'
Haste and his gift were on his side as he made his escape.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^**^^*^*^*^*^
(this part is supposed to be in italics…..)
"Don't trust everything you hear. Jackson Enterprises? It ain't the Apple Pie Insitute everybody says it is."
"How so?
"People that mess with that corp have accidents."
"Accidents?"
"Yeah. And they don't recover."
"What's going on over there?"
"It's always the money."
"Money."
"Yeah, you know, the green stuff? Anyway, I heard a kid got offed because she was digging."
"Digging causes accidents."
"You catch on quick."
"So I've been told."
"You're gonna have an accident."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Your type always does."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^^**^^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Alright! Finished with another chapter!
Tune in next time: Arcane makes a home visit!